527 million smartphone users use adblockers
Blocking online ads is becoming increasingly popular: An analysis by Blockthrough shows that more than 527 million people worldwide now use ad blockers on their smartphones. This represents a 64 percent increase compared to 2016.
"There are different types of Adblock users. There are those who fundamentally hate advertising and whose blockers run on the scorched earth principle. Then there are those who don't mind ads as long as they're done right. And then, of course, there are those who just don't care," says Blockthrough CEO Marty Katz.
The analysts at Blockthrough have examined the download figures of major adblocker providers. About 69 percent of adblockers worldwide are on smartphones. According to Blockthrough, mobile users with adblockers consume more content than those who allow advertising. According to Katz, the number of adblocker users is expected to double by 2022. On computers, by contrast, the number of adblocker users has dropped 16 percent since 2016.
"Acceptable Ads" at US companies
Companies are trying to counter the trend toward adblockers. In the U.S., so-called "Acceptable Ads" are particularly popular, i.e. non-intrusive ads that some blockers let through. About half of U.S. companies rely on such ads. Google tries to stop its users from using adblockers, but it is often not possible to stop them on mobile browsers, he said. (pte)
